| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Sylvie and Bruno by Lewis Carroll: fallible! If you once praise a picture, your character for
infallibility hangs by a thread. Suppose it's a figure-picture, and
you venture to say 'draws well.' Somebody measures it, and finds one of
the proportions an eighth of an inch wrong. You are disposed of as a
critic! 'Did you say he draws well?'
your friends enquire sarcastically, while you hang your head and blush.
No. The only safe course, if any one says 'draws well,' is to shrug
your shoulders. 'Draws well?' you repeat thoughtfully. 'Draws well?
Humph!' That's the way to become a great critic!"
Thus airily chatting, after a pleasant drive through a few miles of
beautiful scenery, we reached the rendezvous--a ruined castle--where
Sylvie and Bruno |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from A Collection of Beatrix Potter by Beatrix Potter: MOUSE! . . . NO wonder I feel ill.
. . . But perhaps I should feel worse
if I had really swallowed a patty-
pan!" Duchess reflected--"What
a very awkward thing to have
to explain to Ribby! I think
I will put my pie in the back-yard
and say nothing about it. When
I go home, I will run round and
take it away." She put it outside
the back-door, and sat down again
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| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Child of Storm by H. Rider Haggard: that charge, woman?"
Now, understanding that the King did not wish to stir up these other
matters of murder and witchcraft for some reason of his own, we all
turned to hear Mameena's answer.
"O King," she said in her low, silvery voice, "I cannot deny that I left
Saduko for Umbelazi the Handsome, any more than Saduko can deny that he
left Umbelazi the beaten for Cetewayo the conqueror."
"Why did you leave Saduko?" asked Panda.
"O King, perhaps because I loved Umbelazi; for was he not called the
Handsome? Also _you_ know that the Prince, your son, was one to be
loved." Here she paused, looking at poor Panda, who winced. "Or,
Child of Storm |
The fourth excerpt represents the element of Earth. It speaks of physical influences and the impact of the unseen on the visible world, and is drawn from The Koran: took Abraham as a friend.
And God's is what is in the heavens and in the earth, and God
encompasses all things!
They will ask thee a decision about women; say, 'God decides for you
about them, and that which is rehearsed to you in the Book; about
orphan women to whom ye do not give what is prescribed for them, and
whom ye are averse from marrying; and about weak children; and that ye
stand fairly by orphans;- and what ye do of good, verily, that God
knows.'
And if a woman fears from her husband perverseness or aversion, it
is no crime in them both that they should be reconciled to each other,
The Koran |
